Lots of announcements have been made from Universal about their parks recently, and this may be just the beginning!
Our heads are still spinning with all of the latest news to come out of the Epic Universe lands announcements and more details shared about Celestial Park specifically, but more change in another Universal park could be on the horizon. As Universal Studios continues construction on DreamWorks Kid Zone, another land could be seeing its closure sooner rather than later prompting supporters to speculate on a new home for their beloved characters.
Rumors have been swirling lately, pending an official announcement from Universal, on the fate of The Simpsons land, Springfield U.S.A., and its namesake ride. The current licensing contract between Fox and Universal is set to expire in 2028 and several factors seem to make sense as to why we’ve yet to hear of a future extension of The Simpsons presence in the Universal parks. Since Disney bought Fox in 2019, it’s left many to speculate about the future of where The Simpsons could be found elsewhere.
Disney purchased 20th Century Fox, and through that acquisition, also gained rights to use of The Simpsons characters. Since the merger between Fox and Disney has been so recent, it’s left many to wonder if we could see something of The Simpsons around Disney World at some point should Universal decide to dissolve their partnership at the end of its current contraction.
So, we posed this very question to you, our readers, and when we did, the comments we received were very divisive! Here are a few takes of what you had to say about it!
The majority of commenters were very quick to chime in with some version of “no.” As Adrian put it, “Nahh. I don’t even know where they could fit. They don’t feel ‘Disney’.” Dina also chimed in not in favor of the switch saying, “Eww, no. They fit better at Universal.”
Meanwhile, there were a few on the fence about whether The Simpsons could be a fit at Disney somewhere. While some didn’t have much of an opinion either way, like Shawn chiming in with an “Uhhh….maybe,” others like Janet said, “I think the Imagineers could do so much more than what Universal has done with them.”
Others had more arguments to offer with their reasoning like Vincent stating, “Yes. Universal seems to be neglecting the area, perhaps in anticipation of closing the land.” This was followed by an additional comment of, “The Simpsons can join The Muppets , perhaps in a new land or a new park.”
We warned you this was going to get divisive! Overall, the overwhelming majority felt that The Simpsons and their style of humor and quirky ways to poke fun at pop culture and current events didn’t align with the atmosphere of the Disney parks and the wholesome atmosphere. While times are changing (and so is how mainstream media is represented by animation, shows, and films), many commenters felt very strongly that of the two big entertainment companies, Universal was the better “fit” for The Simpsons and hoped that Universal would find a way to work to keep them in their parks longer.
We ask our readers for their input on all things about Disney, Universal, and travel often, so be sure to stay tuned with us at All Ears for the latest chance to tell us what you think!
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Do you think removing The Simpsons from Universal Studios is right for the direction the parks are growing? Give us your reasons why or why not in the comments below.
Hopefully The dysfunctional Simpsons can stay at Universal, can’t stand them and they really don’t fit in with Disney. Think it would be a huge mistake for Disney to try and slot them into a park.